Every time the World Cup rolls around and I get caught up in all the goals, drama and festivities, I wonder how I ever managed to survive four years without it. As the world's most popular sport, the past three weeks or so have seen the world gripped with World Cup fever, and whether you're a disappointed German or ecstatic Russian, this has been a tournament for the ages.
I think that people will remember this World Cup for a very long time, and not just because of what happened on the pitch. The internet being the gift that keeps on giving, the World Cup has been the context for the best meme to emerge from this tournament ('Football's Coming Home' being a close second), involving ostensibly one of its best players.
With five titles to their name and a significant chance of bringing home the Jules Rimet trophy for a record sixth time, Brazil are undoubtedly the quintessential World Cup team, and in Neymar, they've got a genuinely world-class player to pin their hopes on. The striker has started slowly this time around, but if Brazil make it all the way, he'll have played a big part.
Unfortunately, his star status has seen opposition players give him some rough treatment in an attempt to knock him off his game. It's a tough part of the game, but Neymar has been mercilessly mocked for his... let's say, theatrical responses to the unwanted attention.
That's Neymar in the World Cup Quarter Final against Mexico, responding to an errant boot by his opponent as if he'd been shot. It's one way to accentuate any illegal contact from opposition players... but it's also a great way to get mocked by billions all over the world.
Case in point, these rather delightful memes:
Which eventually led to this absolutely hilarious video, which can be enjoyed over and over again without it ever getting old:
Now, it's not uncommon for fast food brands to try and get in on global trends, adding their own rather interesting twists. In fact, Burger King have already had to pull an ill-advised post encouraging Russian women to procreate with global football stars, in order to breed a generation of soccer superstars (presumably with crippling Daddy issues).
But KFC South Africa's latest advert involving the World Cup is much better taste, and I'm not just talking about the food. In what was probably an inevitable twist on that last video, KFC took a very familiar sight at this World Cup, and turned it into something decidedly Finger Lickin' Good:
He just doesn't. Stop. Rolling. We're used to KFC knocking it out of the park with their weird yet wonderful marketing ploys, but even for them, this is pretty awesome. Whatever happens in the showcase final later on this month, I for one won't be forgetting this World Cup in a hurry, and with the help of KFC and Neymar, I doubt you will either.
